[SumItUp]

You can't say that people won't give until we get assurances that coaches aren't going anywhere.

I'm not speaking for all alumni. I have had a few conversations with some alumni and people that follow Liberty University that could make some sizable contributions. They are not close to making a contribution of any size. The optimism that can be seen around campus about the direction of the football team and overall athletic programs is eerily similar to someone looking at the program in the early 90's.

We are what we are.

For the exact same reason that we expect to have certain recruits come to Liberty that could go to the top programs in the country, we should expect to find coaches that want to do the same.

[Chris Lang]

I would not be surprised if Rocco talked to and/or interviewed at Virginia. He's a very good coach with a very good resume.

I would be surprised if Virginia actually hired him, for a number of reasons.

I agree with Smooth. I think UVa wants to distance itself from Groh and his coaching tree for this hire. You don't fire the master when he can't beat Tech and then turn around and hire one of his proteges.

[SuperJon]

We are what we are.

For the exact same reason that we expect to have certain recruits come to Liberty that could go to the top programs in the country, we should expect to find coaches that want to do the same.

And that has happened in the olympic sports, but it still hasn't really happened in football and men's basketball. Those two sports are a completely different animal. Hopefully Jesse and Baird and guys like that are a start in basketball, but we're not to the level where the elite Christian athletes will pick us in those two sports simply because we're a Christian school. We'll likely get to that level at some point, but that's still a decade and a couple conferences away.

[Hold My Own]

Anybody else smiling at the talk of Skip Holtz considering how close things came with us just a few years ago?

Yeah...as soon as I heard that I got a good laugh

[Jesus First]

Does anybody think Rocco is intrested in the Marshall Job? I expect them to contact Rocco.

[Maximus]

I don't see how Rocco could be considered for a legit FBS program. I don't want to knock him at all, I don't think he is there yet. Yes, he turned around the football culture at LU and turned us into a BS winning machine. However, he hasn't even made the playoffs yet. Not that winning a playoff game is an end all. I just don't see him having enough experience.

[Cider Jim]

Does anybody think Rocco is intrested in the Marshall Job? I expect them to contact Rocco.

Maybe Groh will take the Marshall job and bring back Bobby Pruit as his assistant.

[Hold My Own]

I don't see how Rocco could be considered for a legit FBS program. I don't want to knock him at all, I don't think he is there yet. Yes, he turned around the football culture at LU and turned us into a BS winning machine. However, he hasn't even made the playoffs yet. Not that winning a playoff game is an end all. I just don't see him having enough experience.

He would be the front runner for the WF job and I would consider that a legit job

[Sly Fox]

Thankfully Grobe isn't the hot commodity that he was a year or two ago or he might have jumped to C'Ville which would've started some dominoes that we wouldn't want to fall.

[SuperJon]

Grobe is also getting paid a ton and Wake. I doubt UVA could pay much more than what he's making at Wake. I know UVA is Grobe's alma mater, but I'm not so sure Grobe would leave Wake.

[Sly Fox]

Wake is no one's dream job. What Grobe has pulled off there is incredible. But they simply don't have the resources to compete at the next level. Does UVa? You would think so based on their fanbase. But I haven't seen the evidence to support it.

[SuperJon]

Getting to a BCS bowl every 4-5 years at Wake (which is possible) is about the same as you can expect at UVA. Getting paid 2 million with those expectations is pretty nice.

[Hold My Own]

Grobe is also getting paid a ton and Wake. I doubt UVA could pay much more than what he's making at Wake. I know UVA is Grobe's alma mater, but I'm not so sure Grobe would leave Wake.

They were paying Al 1.9....Grobe is getting paid 1.2...for them to start winning again, I fully expect the next coach to be in the 2's

[SuperJon]

Grobe is actually making $2.1 million and made over $4 million last year.

Source

[bigsmooth]

UVA is gonna pay big to get a good coach. the mood in c-ville is not good amongst the bluebloods since Al has really killed the program. if they paid Al 1.9 mil they will pay more to get someone they want. could it be an obscure hire like the tony bennett hoops hire?? sure, but at this point nothing would surprise me. UVA has the money, it will just be convincing someone. Unlike what Sly said, it is a good job, and the opportunity to do that in the ACC, which has become brutal in football plus a hefty paycheck will make some think twice.a quicker turnaround is possible in the ACC. the key to a turnaround is in-state recruiting and good relationships with the UVA Academic community. whomever get the gig will need to get assistants who have knowledge and good relationships with the 757 coaches as well as the richmond area.

[TDDance234]

Dare I say Charlie Weis?

[Chris Lang]

UVA is gonna pay big to get a good coach. the mood in c-ville is not good amongst the bluebloods since Al has really killed the program. if they paid Al 1.9 mil they will pay more to get someone they want. could it be an obscure hire like the tony bennett hoops hire?? sure, but at this point nothing would surprise me. UVA has the money, it will just be convincing someone. Unlike what Sly said, it is a good job, and the opportunity to do that in the ACC, which has become brutal in football plus a hefty paycheck will make some think twice.a quicker turnaround is possible in the ACC. the key to a turnaround is in-state recruiting and good relationships with the UVA Academic community. whomever get the gig will need to get assistants who have knowledge and good relationships with the 757 coaches as well as the richmond area.

All great points. I wrote Saturday that I thought the next hire was going to have to be a great PR guy as much as he is a great football coach. Someone like Brian Kelly, who has gone out of his way to sell Cincinnati and get the community excited about UVa football. (Not suggesting Kelly, because I don't think he'd be interested, but someone like him.) Losing the 757 killed Groh. I don't buy that UVa can't compete. The facilities are just as nice as Tech's and while the academics standards are high, and UVa is a great school, it's not Duke or Stanford, either. I'm trying to remember the last time UVa had great talent on the perimeter. Seems like the skill players -- aside from the QB -- are a collection of adequate guys that are easily to defend. The Cavs could use a major upgrade there, especially at receiver.

[Cider Jim]

UVa is a great school, it's not Duke or Stanford, either.

Lang, please elaborate on your Duke/Stanford reference, as it pertains to UVa.

[bigsmooth]

i cannot remember a quality receiver at UVA since Herman Moore or maybe billy mc mullen and he never had breakaway speed. they have had several posession receivers, but that's it. they have always had good running backs, Tight ends, O and D-linemen, and linebackers. see the NFL rosters, but secondary has been weak since ronde barber and QB since Schaub/Hagans. you can get those guys from the 757. that area is known for speed. Groh always touted about how many guys he prepared for the NFL, and he did, but that does not equate to winning college games. i would rather win an ACC championship or be in the mix for a BCS bowl or a good bowl game than putting players in the pros. i think the academic requirement reasoning is an excuse for losing. UVA lowers its standards for athletes, maybe not as much as Duke or Stanford, but they do. Stanford is competing now, and Duke is vastly improved. UVA fans want what they had with George Welsh with a sprinkle of greatness every now and then. it is certainly possible to get there again and the ACC is the perfect conference to get that done.

[Chris Lang]

UVa is a great school, it's not Duke or Stanford, either.

Lang, please elaborate on your Duke/Stanford reference, as it pertains to UVa.

I just meant in terms of getting into the school. I could be mistaken, but I was always under the impression that it was more difficult to get into those schools than it was to get into UVa.

[bigsmooth]

i think it depends on the area of study, but cider may know more.

[Cider Jim]

I was always under the impression that it was more difficult to get into those schools than it was to get into UVa.

Lang, you're aware that UVa is always ranked #1 or #2 academically among state colleges in America (along with UC-Berkeley), aren't you?

[Sly Fox]

To be fair, I don't believe Chris was comparing UVa to state schools.

[olldflame]

Listed among Groh's UVA career highlights in the print version of the fishwrap.

Oct. 15, 2005 --- "Quite possibly the biggest victory of Groh's tenure. The Cavs take down No. 4 Florida State at home as Anthony Poindexter stops Warrick Dunn on a 4th down run in the games final seconds."

I think someone got their decades mixed up.

[Chris Lang]

Yes, Jim, I'm aware. But it's not as elite of a school as, say, Princeton or Columbia. That's what I'm saying. It's probably more difficult to gain entrance into an elite private school than it is an elite state university.